Far From Home
by Kaylie-JoCurtis
Summary: What if Ponyboy and Sodapop were taken away from Darry and placed in a boys home? How would they react? How would they plan to escape? All they want is to be a family again.
1. I'm Not Leaving!

I rolled over in bed onto one side, my stomach still full from all the food we ate the night before. With one eye open, I managed to glance at the clock. Five fifty-eight in the morning. That's way too early for me to be up! My head fell back onto the pillow and almost instantly fell asleep.

The nightmares were getting worse. They were occurring every night now at some point. Every night, the same dream; mom and dad in the car driving home from wherever they were comin' from. It was mighty nice dreamin' about them again, that ain't the worst part. Almost immediately after it seemed like a nice dream, that train appeared. The very one that struck dad's car, killing both of them. I squinted my eyes tightly with the same tears streamin' down my face like they always did, every night. I tossed and turned, accidentally pulling the covers off Soda a couple times. I kept waking him up. I felt bad.

"Pony, you all right?" Soda asked in a weary voice.

I didn't respond.

"Pony!" He shook me awake.

I gasped, almost choking on my own saliva. I gagged almost instantly upon sitting up.

"Is it them nightmares again?" He asked with one hand on my shoulder.

"Yeah." I managed to choke through tears.

"Darry made you a doctors appointment next week." Soda said, comfortingly, "We'll find out what's wrong."

I nodded, drying the tears away. My body was still trembling from the horrid nightmare.

"Now, go back to sleep," He yawned, "It's only six thirty."

"Okay."

Although I couldn't fall back asleep, at least them nightmares weren't occurring none. I stayed awake more and more each night, hoping them nightmares wouldn't pop up again. At around seven fifteen in the morning, I finally fell back asleep.

I heard the faint sound of a knock at the front door. Not thinkin' anything of it, I ignored it. I figured Darry would get it sooner or later. My feet were stickin' out of the blanket, so I curled into a ball so that I was bundled up nice and warm. I wasn't comfortable for long. There was a knock on my door. Soda and I almost instantly sprung out of bed.

"Yeah?" I yelled, thinkin' it was just one of the gang.

"Pony, Soda, there's someone here to see you." I heard Darry's voice on the other side of the door.

I instantly threw on the shirt I wore last night and jeans. I watched as Soday did about the same thing. I waited for him, a little nervous as to who it could be that wanted to talk to us.

The two of us exited the room and walked uneasily into the living room. There sat Darry and this woman I had never seen before. Did someone die? I questioned to myself, it's too quiet in here. I observed the room and realized that I had forgotten to clean up the mess from the party we threw the other night with the gang. There was cake smeared all over the walls, things that were once on tables were now scattered all over the floor, pictures broken, and a whole lot more.

"Sit down." Darry declared, pointing at the couch opposite him and the woman. Everyone looked so tense, I was getting really edgy.

"My name is misses Williams, I work for the Logan County Home for Boys."

Straightaway, I felt my face grow hot with fear and despondency. My limbs felt heavy and my whole body began to tremble. I didn't let that show none. I knew better than that.

"What did you come here for?" Soda asked, as frightened as I was, yet tryin' to sound chill.

"Your neighbors complained that there was too much noise coming from this house last night and I just wanted to check up on you." She responded very relaxed.

"We're fine!" I shouted hastily with my anger slowly rising the longer she sat there.

"He's right. Nothin' wrong here." Darry explained, "We were just havin' a bit of fun over here last night, that's all."

Soda and I nodded.

"I wouldn't be too sure," Mrs. Williams began to examine the room, "By the looks of this house no under-aged boys should grow up living like this!"

"But we're fine, miss," I stood up from the couch, my hands balled into fists by now, "I just forgot to clean up!"

I began to try everything to get her to leave. Her presence here was bothering me and I could tell I wasn't the only one.

The woman didn't respond. All I could do was watch her jot down notes that would eventually lead to her taking us away. I wanted to cry, but I knew if I did, I would only make things worse. I grabbed the back of my head with my hands and collapsed back onto the couch with my elbows on my knees. Soda put his arm around me.

"Ain't nothin' gonna happen to us, Pony." His soothing voice reassured me. Usually I couldn't tell when something was troubling him, but this time it was obvious that something was wrong.

"She's gonna take us away, I know it!" I muttered helplessly through my arms.

"No she ain't. Darry won't let that happen." He shook me some. I could tell that he was unsure what was going to take place after this as well.

It was silent in the room for about ten minuted while the woman roamed our house freely, checking every nook and cranny she could. Boy, I really wanted her outta here! I clenched my fists even tighter as my heart pounded against my chest. This was the most suspenseful moment of my life and I felt like it would kill me if she waited any longer to come to a decision. My breathing increased and my stomach and intestines felt like they were trying to escape my body as well.

"Soda," I lifted my head up.

"Pony, you don't look so good." Soda placed his hand over my forehead, "You're as white as a sheet!"

"I think I'm gonna be sick," right after I managed to let those words escape from my lips, I felt a barf comin' on.

I ran from the couch and out the door. I stopped at the porch railing and upchucked somethin' big.

"Pony, you all right?" I heard a voice climb up the porch stairs. I knew Johnny long enough to know that the voice belonged to him.

"Johnny, I'm scared!" I cried, holding my stomach.

"What happened?" He rushed over to me, noticing how red my face was now that I had thrown up.

I gasped for air, not ready for what was comin' at me. I slid down the porch column and onto the floor. Johnny joined me a few moments later.

"They're takin' me away. Me and Sodapop, they're takin' us away." My voice quivered as I tried to speak.

"Who?" Johnny sounded anxious.

"The woman. She works for a boy's home." I sobbed brokenly through my hands, "Johnny, I don't wanna go!"

"You ain't goin' nowhere." He encouraged me.

It wasn't long before the woman poked her head out the door.

"Ponyboy, pack your things, you and Soda are coming with me." I dreaded the worst, and it hit me in the face.

"No!" I heard Soda yell from inside, "We ain't goin'!"

"I'm sorry but this just isn't a suitable home for you and Ponyboy." Mrs. Williams said very nonchalant.

I was gonna be sick again. Leaving Darry? Would I ever see him again? A million thoughts were racing through my head at once. I didn't know which one to grab first. I stood up, turned around, leaned over the banister and went for round two of throwing up. I felt like all this puking was gonna make me pass out. What could I do to prove to her that Soda and I are perfectly fine? Then, the unexpected happened.

"If you take Pony away, you'll have to take me too," Johnny asserted, "My parents hate my guts and wish I was dead anyways!"

The woman lowered her glasses, "And who are you?"

Johnny turned towards me. I was stunned. What was he doing?

"Johnny, m'am." He said softly with his head down.

"Johnny-" The woman observed him.

"Cade." He stated, digging his hands into his jacket pockets.

She noticed the scar on his face.

"Did your parents do that to you?" She pointed out.

"Yes, m'am, they did." He lied. We all knew it was one of them socs who had done it.

"How did they do it?" She asked.

"That's the result of my dad drinkin' too much." That was all he had to say before Mrs. Williams sighed.

"Well, Johnny, this is the first time I've had someone want to come to a boy's home so willingly," She eyed him carefully, "You must really want to get away from your parents. They abuse you that much?"

He nodded. Johnny knew that if his parents found out about what he was doing, he'd be a goner for sure. I began to realize that this was the only way he could escape his folks. This was what he _wanted_ from the start. I, on the other hand, wouldn't go without a fight.

"Darry, tell her! Tell her everything's okay!" I cried, holding onto the hand railing for support.

"M'am, I was granted full custody over these two, you can't just take them away!" Darry argued.

"I am fully aware of that, mister Curtis, but in the shape this dump is in, I cannot allow that any longer." Mrs. Williams declared, grabbing her purse from the chair.

I knew Darry had done all he could to keep us. I couldn't ask for more than I already had. I gasped for air as the tears continued to flow. I just couldn't stop! No matter how hard I tried, nothing would be able to stop these tears for a long time.

I did this. This was all my fault! I forgot to clean up last night. If I had, none of this would have happened. I almost felt like I was goin' to jail. I'd probably have the same reaction if I did.

Mrs. Williams patted her brown suit down as if it had been contaminated by somethin' bad. She wiped her black heeled shoes on the carpet, making sure nothing was attached to them. Her icy blue eyes glared at me as she repeated for me to pack my things.

I ran back into the house, into my room, and slammed the door shut. There was no lock so I had to do my best to hold it closed. I wasn't going anywhere, not even over my dead body!

I applied all my weight on the door, but considering I didn't weigh that much didn't do any good. I bawled loudly.

"Pony, open up!" The woman yelled, knocking on the door softly.

"No!" I screamed back at her. I knew I was acting like a little girl, but I couldn't help it, our family was being ripped apart by this woman. I wasn't gonna go!

By this time I could barely breathe, I was cryin' so hard. I'd never cried this hard before ever in my life. Not even when mom and dad died, and that was the worst.

"We can do this the easy way or the hard way." The woman stated, sounding more serious than she had been before.

"You're not my mother!" I pounded my fists against the door, hoping it would scare her away.

"No, but I am your new guardian." She replied in a more calm voice.

"No," I exclaimed, "No!"

"Pony, I'll have this all settled in a few days. You ain't gonna be gone for long." Darry remarked, "I promise."

If Darry had already surrendered for now, I knew I wasn't gonna be any good at defending myself alone. I sniffled as I backed away from the door. I watched as the door knob turned and opened.

I snatched what ever I could get my hands on and whatever had any significance to me. A picture of all of us; me, Soda, Darry, mom, and dad was all I really needed. I threw some articles of clothing into a sack that wasn't very big. I packed double the amount as I should because I knew we wouldn't be stopping by Johnny's house to get him some clothes.

We lost this fight, for now. I knew Darry wouldn't give up, even if his life depended on it. We'll be together again soon.

Johnny, Soda, and I dragged our feet to the woman's car. For some reason, I got the feeling I'd never be back, so I wanted to take in as much as I could from now until we got to the car. The tears would not dry. The woman threw our stuff in the trunk as the three of us stepped into the car. I wouldn't stop staring outta the window; at Darry and the house.

"Once I get the papers filled out, we'll be a family again!" I heard him shout from behind the fence leading to the house. I knew he meant it. I saw him mutter a faint 'I love you' before we left him and the house behind.


	2. Should've When I Could've

I didn't dare utter a word until once we exited the neighborhood. I stared out the window some more and noticed three figures on the side of the road headed towards out house. As we advanced towards them in the car, I was finally able to make out who they were. Dally, Steve, and Two-Bit. I instinctively lowered my window and began shouting out to them.

They all seemed to notice because they all turned in the direction of the car.

"Ponyboy, where ya goin'?" Two-Bit called after the car.

"Johnny, me, and Sodapop are gettin' sent to a boys home!" I tried to say as quickly as possible so they could hear me.

They must have made out what I said because not too long after I watched them chase after the car from the rear window. Then, the three of them, in unison strayed off to the left side of the road over to the DX, where Soda and Steve usually worked. I sure wondered what they were up to.

I turned back around, now having that sense of doom I knew I'd have eventually. I stared down at my feet, wondering when this would all be over. I never felt so empty inside, ever. I didn't like it one bit. I wanted to be happy again and I was just working my way up to it until today. I took a deep breath then let it out slowly.

"Don't worry, Pony," Soda nodded in my direction, "Like Darry said, it ain't gonna take long. Heck, we could be home tomorrow most likely."

"Yeah, Pony, everything'll be fine." Johnny nudged me some.

"Why did you get yourself involved, Johnny, you ain't part of this?" I asked more in an aggressive manner without meaning to. Johnny flinched.

"Whatever happens, we're in it together." He reassured me plain and simple.

Wow, he was a better friend than I thought.

"You mean, it wasn't because you wanted to get away from your folks?" I asked, uncertain.

"Golly, no." Johnny shook his head, "I mean, I'd love to get away from 'em, but not like this."

"You did this for me?" I asked, on the verge of cryin' again. I held them tears back because it was about time I stopped.

Johnny nodded. He was better than a best friend. Him and Soda were the only people I could show my true feelings to without being ridiculed or mocked. They truly understood me.

After a while longer in the car, I began to hear a car horn behind us blaring consistently. Eager to know what could be going on, the three of us turned to see who it was. To my surprise, Two-Bit, Steve, and Dally were tailgating us. I couldn't help but smile somethin' big. I guess we were worth being rescued after all. I knew it would take more than them following us to get us outta this situation.

"What is wrong with that car?" Mrs. Williams asked, keeping both hands on the wheel now, being more careful driving than she was before.

"They ain't gonna do nothin'." Soda stretched out, knowing that we'd be out of there in no time at all. Seeing as though our friends were all so persistent, I, too, was sure that we'd get out with no problem.

Having them follow us gave me a sense of comfort and provided great company, considering I could hear them shout things that I shouldn't repeat out the window of Two-Bit's car. He was the only one who I knew had a car. If Steve had one, he sure didn't drive it much. Same with Dally. Not sure he had a car, with the amount of time he's spent in prison. I was surprised to find out that his identification wasn't suspended yet. I chuckled to myself a little.

We finally approached a tall gated building and I already didn't like it. My fingers tapped lightly on the seat. Was it weird that I missed Darry already?

Sure enough, Two-Bit, Steve, and Dally were behind us the entire journey from Tulsa to Logan County, which was about a half-hour drive or so.

As we proceeded through the iron gates, I was aware that Two-Bit's car remained outside the gates. There was that sense of dread again. That was probably the last time I'd get to see them, I thought to myself.

The set-up of the home was very circular. It took up almost like an intersection of a road. There were cabin-like structures surrounding this one main building, which was probably the office or somethin'. We pulled around the main building and headed north of it. Gosh, how big was this place?

Knowing they wouldn't be behind me no more, I still kept glancing back occasionally, hoping that somehow they'd still be there.

We pulled up to a cabin on the left. The outside of the structure appeared dilapidated. A little less than ruined, more like on the verge of falling apart.

Before opening the door, I turned and briefly looked at Soda and Johnny who appeared a little less anxious than I was. It was only right if I made an effort to remain as calm as possible. I cracked half a forced smile reassuring both of them that I was okay. It made me feel a little better when they returned the gesture.

That was probably the last time I smiled in a long time. I knew things would only get worse now that Darry wasn't around.

We collected our things from the trunk and advanced towards the door. I began to experience that uneasy feeling again. Soda was the first one at the door and Johnny followed closely behind me. No one said a word before we entered.

Soda swung the door open as if he's been there a'hundred times already. I was surprised when the cabin looked like a mini-version of our house, 'cept our house was already small. There was a kitchen, living room, bathroom, and bedroom with three beds in it. I felt a little better knowing we'd all be together. Everything was already furnished, which provided another sense of stability.

"Remember, after you settle in, you must report to the main office, which is the building in the center." Mrs. Williams called after us.

"Why?" I asked, wondering why she was telling us this.

"For a tour and to go over rules and regulations regarding your stay with us."

Without waiting for us to reply, she got into her car, pulled out, and drove away.

The three of us stood where we were for a brief moment before shrugging this whole situation away for a little while. There was a sofa that almost looked brand new, and a television as well! Everything was smaller here than it was at home. I didn't mind none. Better here than on the streets.

I knew Darry would keep his end of the promise. He had to. It's our future that's on the line as a family.

Upon stepping fully into the house, I realized that it was just as hot in here than it was outside. There was no air conditioning. This was going to be a long few days!

Soda brought a box of food with him so we wouldn't go hungry for a while. We sure do eat a lot. I'm sure the food will be gone within a matter of hours. I moved into the bedroom. Johnny was already on the bed next to the window. I could tell that he didn't want to be here anymore than I did. I felt like I dragged him into this when in reality, it was his choice. I still endured that feeling of guilt.

I set my stuff on the bed in the middle of the other two. Nightstands were the only thing that separated each bed from one another. Why was I not surprised to find a Bible in one of the drawers. I hoped this wasn't a religious place. I mean sure I liked going to church and all that, but only when I'm not forced to go. I placed the Bible back into the drawer. I knew if I ran out of stuff to read, I'd probably find myself studying that thing anyway.

The beds possessed blankets with a dull brown to it. It didn't really look too pleasant, to be honest. I could deal with it for a few days, but after that, I'd probably lose my mind and then some. I was already exhausted after going through what we did today. I wanted to fall asleep so badly, but I knew it wouldn't be a good idea. I knew Johnny knew about the nightmares I've been having, but he's never been there to witness me having them. I'm sure Soda would mention something to him.

I heard the phone in the kitchen ring. I was actually thrilled that we had our own telephone. Once I find out our number I can give it to Darry somehow, then we'd have one more source of communication.

Soda answered the phone. I couldn't make out what he said, though. Everything sounded muffled. His voice sounded a lot more cheerful than it had prior to answering the phone. I was anxious to find out what he was talking about and who he was on the phone with. He wasn't on the phone for long because within seconds he walked into the room.

"We got visitors!" Soda's voice rang out.

Johnny and I exchanged glances. I could tell that he knew as well as I did who it was. We paraded out the door, finally feelin' hunky-dory now that our buddies were here. Luckily it was not a far walk from our house to the main office, so we were their in under five minutes.

As we entered through the door, Two-Bit, Steve, and Dally were seated in the waiting area already. We had no idea how this whole visitor thing worked, but in all honestly, we were just happy they where there.

"Hey guys!" I heard Soda say as he took the liberty of walking in front of Johnny and I to be noticed first. I didn't mind none.

"Hey!" Steve gave Soda a high-five.

"What's goin' on here?" Two-Bit asked, dying to know what fired up this whole situation in the first place.

"Some neighbors complained about the noise last night." I shrugged, making it sound like it wasn't a big deal. In front of the rest of the gang, I had to keep my game-face on.

"So they sent a social worker over?" Steve asked in dismay.

"I guess."

"That don't make a lick'a sense, but that don't matter 'cuz we're gonna bust you guys outta here anyway." Dally proclaimed, putting his feet up on another chair. I knew he wasn't joking, neither.

"Man, I could really use a weed now." Johnny said a little on edge.

"Here, I got one." Dally handed him a cigarette.

"Don't light 'em in here, though." I said.

"I ain't stupid, kid." Dally asserted.

"Are you guys allowed to leave this place to go on walks or somethin' or maybe to the market even?" Steve asked, glancing at the rules and regulations notice on the wall.

"Dunno yet." Soda said doubtfully.

"These geezers seem strict as hell. Listen to this," Steve began to recite a line, "Razors should never be left unattended at all times." He glanced up at Johnny and I, "Well looks like that's one rule you two don't have to worry about." The gang shared a laugh together.

"Darry aware you're here?" Two-Bit asked, a little hesitant.

"He was the first to know." I replied, "Shoot, he even answered the door for that woman."

"That's too bad." He answered blankly.

"Well, c'mon! At least show us around." Steve sprung into action.

"We don't know nothin' about this place anymore than you do," Sodapop replied picking up a magazine, examining it, then throwing it back down.

"What's there to do 'round here anyway?" Two-Bit asked, staring out the window curiously.

"We haven't exactly been here for very long." I said, dully, "But we could show you around the house."

"Sure, let's do that, why not." Steve agreed.

I would rather eat dirt than to be here right now. I sighed as I lead them out of the building and towards the house. Today was definitely gonna be a long day.


	3. Bend or Break

That night, I lay awake starin' at the ceilin', wishin' I was anywhere but here. This place made me feel too safe, and I didn't like that one bit. I was used to danger and trouble. This wasn't my style. Waiting a few days here for Darry to come get us was too long for me. I'm sure Johnny and Soda felt the same way, if not worse, but they had the ability to put up with it, unlike me. Stubborn me! If it was one thing I was good at, it was sneaking out of the house at night. I'm sure if I was anywhere near as efficient as I was at home, I could probably pull it off here as well. I thought about it for a long while before acting upon anything.

What about the broad iron gates? I asked myself as I reviewed the premise in my mind. They were enclosed everything. The only exit was through the front gate and that wasn't good enough. There had to be some other way to get by unnoticed. At this point, I'd wing it because I was sure I was missing some major details of the map I had in my head.

I sat up in bed, glancing around the room and out the window. Shoot, lamps. This was gonna make things a bit more complicated. I sighed in thought. I squinted my eyes as they followed the path to a heavily guarded door inside the gate. By heavily guarded I meant with about a dozen locks attached to it. I had the strange suspicion that it wasn't gonna be much of a problem.

I was still dressed, which was one less thing I had to do. I stood up from the bed and grabbed the sack I stored everything in. I began throwing stuff inside the bag. I heard Johnny stir in bed.

"Pony?" He asked, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes, "Where ya goin', man?"

"Home, Johnny. I'm goin' home." I said firmly without even looking at him.

"Ya can't!" Johnny sat up, "They'll catch yuh."

Soda rolled over in his sleep, "Keep it down, please."

"Soda!" I yelled as he almost fell off the bed.

His eyes shot open as he clung onto the bed.

"Guess I'm not used to a bed like this." He joked. His smile faded when he saw me packing, "What're you doin'?"

I didn't respond. I knew that he realized just what I was doing.

"Pony, stop!" Soda tossed the covers off of him and approached me.

"I'm goin' home, Soda." I started, "Ain't nothin' you can do to stop me!"

Soda knew how persistent I could be. He sighed, knowing that he'd only be wasting his energy if he continued scolding me.

"Well, little bro, if you ain't gonna stay, then I'm comin' with ya." Soda said smoothly.

"Yeah, me too." Johnny said getting outta bed.

I was taken aback.

"You, you will?" I asked, almost forgetting what I was doing just then.

"Ya think I wanna stay here anymore than you do? Naw." Soda responded, fetching his bag from under the bed.

This may be more difficult than I thought. I could do it no problem if it was just me. Now Soda and Johnny wanna come along for the ride. I took a deep breath.

"You all right there, Pony?" Johnny asked, patting me on the back.

I nodded, "Yeah. I think so."

I tied everything up. I made sure the picture I brought with me was in the safest spot in the sack. I moved over to the window. Soda and Johnny were directly behind me.

"See that o'er there?" I asked, pointing towards the gated door.

"Mm-hm." I heard them mutter.

"We gotta get to that." I informed them.

I raised open the window a tiny bit, making sure it didn't trigger no alarm. When nothin' happened, I raised it fully and stepped one foot through the window. I turned around briefly.

"Wait 'til I give you the signal." I ordered. I was about to swing my other leg through the window when I felt a tug on it.

"Pony, wait." Soda stopped me, "Maybe I should go."

"I'll be okay, Sode." I smiled.

He was very hesitant at the idea, but let go of my foot anyway.

I jumped to the ground, almost making no sound whatsoever once I hit the ground. I peered out from behind the wall of the house. A guard seemed to be on his way over here. I ducked under a small bush that concealed me completely. I motioned Soda to close the window and duck. I heard the thud of the window closing. I watched from underneath the bush, shoes from the guard passing by. I moved my arm, slightly and the bush shook a little. I covered my mouth as the guard seemed to hear it. My heart thudded against my chest even more. I feared maybe he could hear that as well. I closed my eyes tightly, hoping this would all pass soon.

I heard a faint, "Hm." from the guard as he moved away from me and the bush. I wanted to roll over onto my back in relief, but didn't have the time. I threw an arm up into the air, signaling them to re-open the window. Everything was going according to plan now. I waited until the guard was a good half a'mile away until I exposed myself from under the bush. I tip-toed over to the other side of the street, er path, er whatever it was. The lamp was wide enough to press my entire body against it and not be seen. Looking both ways again, I beckoned Soda and Johnny to follow. Thankfully, they weren't any louder than I was. We rendezvoused at the lamp, the door wasn't that far away. I quietly approached it. It was chained together, and it appeared warn out and rusty, like it had been untouched for a good fifteen years. I sighed, this was never going to work. I studied how tall the fence was. It was at most maybe eight feet in height, I could climb that easily. It was Johnny I was worried about. Soda at least had some athleticism in him. Johnny was thin and almost breakable.

"We gotta climb." I said with one hand against the fence.

"What?" Soda exclaimed.

"We have no choice. If we wanna get out, this is what we gotta do!" I turned to face Johnny, "You okay with this?"

He didn't respond for a couple seconds, "I'll be all right."

"All right." I dragged my eyes to the top of the fence. Well, here goes nothin'!

I swung my other arm up and grabbed the next hole in the fence. Soda followed closely behind me. I managed to make it to the top, it was the drop I was scared of. I closed my eyes and let go. I landed with a thud and surprisingly on my feet. Before Soda made it up the fence, I heard the threatening sound of keys dangling.

"Hurry up!" I hissed in a whisper. Now I was terrified. Who knew what would happen if we were caught!

Now it was Johnny's turn to climb over. I saw him reach up, trying to keep his balance. I knew he would struggle some. My body trembled, fearing he would not make it over in time. My foot tapped nervously on the ground. Johnny knew how serious this was and was trying his best to climb faster.

I knew we were all doomed once Johnny lost balance and his leg slipped out from under him.

"C'mon, Johnny!" I encouraged him, "You can do it!"

I tried to make it sound as encouraging as possible even though it was more of a 'get over here or we're dead!' type statement.

He clung to the fence tightly with both hands. I saw him look down.

"I can't do it, Pony!" Johnny cried.

"Yes you can, Johnny, just keep goin'!" I yelled after him.

The sound of jingling was gettin' closer now. My breathing started to rapidly increase. I couldn't let Johnny get left behind, I just couldn't!

Instinctively I lunged upward and proceeded to climb to the top of the fence again.

"Johnny, take my hand!" I reached as far out as I possible could.

Soda grabbed onto my leg which was about to slip out.

Johnny feebly stretched out his hand and it connected with mine. I helped pull him up, but he still had to try to climb. I gritted my teeth pretty hard, trying to get him across safely. With only one arm pulling him in, he was pretty heavy.

"Jump, Johnny, jump!" I commanded, frantically. I watched as he did just that. Then I proceeded to let go of the fence, but didn't get too far.

I felt a tight grip on my right wrist.

"Ponyboy!" I heard both Soda and Johnny cry out.

I was too afraid to see who it was. I didn't wanna scream, but I couldn't help it, I was scared to death. I cringed in fear and pain as I dangled over the fence.

"You ain't goin' nowhere, boy!" A gruff voice shook me violently. The guard was a colossal man, nearly as tall as the fence itself. He was muscular, otherwise he wouldn't be able to hold my weight with one hand.

"Git yer hands off him!" Soda cried as he and Johnny attempted to grab both of my feet and apply all the weight they could to help me.

"Soda!" I bawled.

"I ain't gonna let'chu go, Pony!" He pulled down even harder.

I felt my arm slip from his grasp slightly. It was working!

"Pull harder!" I shrieked, gritting my teeth even more in pain. I was surprised I hadn't chipped a tooth yet. My arm was holding my body weight _plus_ Johnny and Soda's. I thought my arm was just gonna rip off. I'm pretty sure I pulled about every muscle in my right arm by now. There I was, dangling about eight feet off the ground. I noticed that if I were to drop down, I'd probably break somethin' anyway. I groaned in so much pain, it was unbearable!

I sweated so much that it lubricated my wrist even more some. The man grunted as he began to fully lose his grip on me. I used my left hand to pull myself downward as well, hoping that it would help get him to let go. I felt like a rope in the middle of a tug-a-war game or somethin'. Hell, maybe this would even help me grow and inch once this is over with.

Suddenly, my arm slipped out of his hold and the three of us collided to the ground. I couldn't think about pain right now, we had to get outta here. I grabbed Soda and Johnny's hands and pulled them up. Running away was the only option we had.

We ran half a'mile before we heard the blaring of sirens and alarms. Shoot, we're dead.

"C'mon, this way!" I yanked on their arms even more as I pulled them in the direction I was headed. There was a patch of trees on the outskirts of town. Perfect!

I lead them into the grove and we all collapsed to the ground, tired and warn out. The only audible sound was us tryin' to catch our breath. I was exhausted. I smiled to myself knowing that we were outta there for good and on our way home now.

"How d'ya know they won't find us here?" Johnny asked, peering out of the bushes and shrubs.

"I don't." I panted, "But it was the best place I could think of."

The alarms and sirens were still blaring in the distance.

I was so fatigued from running so much, I leaned my head back on the ground and almost instantly drifted off to sleep.


	4. Total Defiance

I couldn't have woken up any sorer than I did that morning. My muscles ached profusely and I longed for something to drink. The shrubs and bushes we had slept under that night shielded us from the scorching sun the next morning. I was aware that if we stayed where we were, we'd more than likely be caught in no time. We hadda leave, and fast. I shook Soda and Johnny awake so we could get a move on to wherever we were headed next.

"What time is it?" Soda asked, as he rubbed the sleepiness outta his eyes.

"Not sure," I shrugged, "But the earlier the better."

I knew we still had a ways to go to get back to Pickett and Sutton, the two roads we were most familiar with.

"You reckon everyone's up by now?" Johnny asked as he propped himself up on his elbows.

I knew by 'everyone' he meant the gang.

"I dunno, Johnny. If we find a pay-phone somewhere, we'll give 'em a call." I replied somberly.

As we all dusted ourselves off, we prepared for the long journey ahead. Upon tryin' to clean myself off, I noticed I had more bites than I could count all over me. They didn't itch until I noticed them. Now I wish I hadn't. This was gonna be one hell of a hike back home. I was relieved to see I wasn't the only one with itching issues, Johnny and Soda were in the same boat as I was. That's the last time I'd ever sleep on the ground. I'd even sleep in a tree if I had to just to avoid layin' on the ground. I knew if we didn't get movin' soon, we could be spotted. We collected our belongings and emerged from the bushes we hid out around. We couldn't have picked a worse day to walk a'hundred miles. It had to be at least a'hundred and two degrees outside. Although it bothered me, I knew the only way to get through it would be to tough it out. Complainin' was for wusses, and I ain't no wuss - not in this lifetime! We were still in close proximity of the home, I was surprised we weren't caught already. Some security they got there! I figured they musta given up on us once we successfully made it over to the other side of the fence. They'd find us again, eventually. I felt pretty 'tuff' to almost be considered a wanted man - something I never thought would happen to me. If anything, I'd try to stay as close to the law as I could without breakin' it. Bang up job on that one!

There didn't seem to be anyone near us or even in visual distance of us, so we proceeded forward on our way home.

It was all going well until all three of us heard the most ear-piercin' scream imaginable. I knew if we checked out where it had come from, we'd more than likely end up caught again, and that was something we all didn't wanna do. Whoever it was sounded like a child, and it seemed to be echoing from the boys home. Now I really wondered what was up. What could've happened?

I did what I knew I shouldn't have. I turned and started the other way, in the direction of the noise.

"Ponyboy!" Johnny declared. I could tell he already knew what I was about to do, but it was too risky, even for me to go alone.

"Probably just some kid that fell," Soda stated, "Come on, Pony, we ain't got much time."

"I'll just be a minute." I was too curious. That was not a scream of some kid fallin'. It was more than that, I could tell.

I trailed along the outside of the fence, a far enough distance away so I wouldn't get caught or nothin'. Then, outta the corner of my eye, a child being dragged by the arm by that lady that drove us to the place. The child continued to scream until the woman slapped him across the face. My heart sank. The kid didn't look any older than five or six at most. Every instinct of mine told me to get in there and save him, but I didn't. What did he do that could be so bad? I wondered still keepin' my eye on the kid and the woman. She kept draggin' him until they came to an old lookin' cabin structure. It appeared more rundown than the rest of the property which I didn't think was easy to beat.

"After your punishment is over, you better start behaving, young man, or you'll go through round two of belt whippings and I don't think you want that!" The woman mumbled to the child.

The boy just stared at her, red faced and terrified. I felt ashamed for not jumping in and saving him, but I wanted to find out more. I knew for certain it was way beyond child abuse.

Johnny and Soda joined me shortly after the boy was thrown inside the building and the woman followed. The cabin-like structure wasn't exactly sound-proof and I was able to hear everything that went on. Crying, screaming, and yelling suddenly erupted from inside. It was some sorta torture chamber for children! This hadda be stopped, but there was nothing I could do. I felt so helpless and guilty just watching everything happen to the poor kid. I turned away and covered my ears, I didn't wanna cry, but I couldn't help it. I felt sick to my stomach and every inch of my body began to hurt real bad.

"Pony," Soda inquired, "You all right?"

I uncovered my ears for a moment and shook my head.

"We can't leave," I said under my breath while choking back tears, "Not yet."

I glanced at Johnny, whose eyes were glued to the structure. I somehow could tell what was goin' through his mind. He knew what severe beatings felt like and he seemed terrorized by the event.

The whimpers and cries were endless and they only got worse. If I didn't do something soon, the kid sounded like he could die any minute. I knew the only sane way to help was to call the cops. I was too panicked to think of anything else at that moment.

"They're killin' 'em!" I exclaimed with my ears still covered. I couldn't bare another cry of pain or I'd pass out. I already felt queasy and nauseous. I tried to stagger back up to my feet, but my legs felt too much like jelly that I had to grab onto a tree branch for support.

"Take it easy, Pony." Soda helped me stand back up on my own properly.

I didn't say anything, I just knew we had to get out of there and contact someone about this. I needed to stop snivelin' or else someone might think there was really something wrong with me and I didn't need the trouble.

I didn't realize how fast I was running because I drowned out the calls from my brother and Johnny behind me with my own panic-stricken thoughts. My eye caught sight of the main road. Finally we were close to civilization. I felt like the longer it took for us to get anywhere, more and more children would suffer for it. My eyes followed in the direction the cars were headed, hoping it lead to somewhere close-by.

"Pony stop!" Johnny called after me now with more force in his voice.

I knew I had to stop, not only because Johnny told me to, but because I was on the verge of collapsing again and I needed a break. I pressed my hands on my knees and leaned over, breathing uncontrollably. I was aware that if we did contact the authorities about this, we'd most likely be caught, as well. They wouldn't take us back to that awful place, that was for sure, but I didn't want to go anywhere else but home with my brothers.

We hurriedly walked into the nearest town - a town I didn't even know the name of, but I didn't care. The name was the least of my worries. Wherever we were, the buildings all looked the same. I could barely make out the pay-phone that was all the way on the other side of town. I felt the wind from the cars that soared passed me as the three of us headed down the side walk. I was tired, travelin' took a lot outta me. I could tell the farther we walked, the more people stopped to look at us weird. I knew I didn't look even half decent. Haven't taken a shower or changed clothes in about three days. I looked down at the shirt I was wearing - sauce stains from the spaghetti Darry made a few nights ago, spilled coke from when I fell asleep with the bottle still in my hand, and dirt stains from sleepin' on the ground last night. I shook my head. I was in need of new clothes, badly. Johnny and Soda's clothes looked about as filthy as mine. I was hungry, too - starved, if I had to admit. We passed a couple restaurants on our way through town and every thought of mine told me to stop and see what was inside. I almost had to pull myself away. The mouth-watering oder that carried itself to the outside of the restaurant is what drew me in completely. I could tell Johnny and Soda were thinkin' the exact same thing. Only problem was, we were awfully low on money and we knew only to use it when in extreme emergencies. I could live without food for a while, and for a while I mean a couple of hours! I nearly made it my business to go out of my way to look for crumpled up bills on the side of the road. Was that a little too desperate?

The three of us didn't utter a word, but somehow we were still able to distinguish what each other was thinkin'. The more I examined Johnny, the more I was able to figure out how unusually content he was. We were all pretty relieved to be outta that home. That was no home, it was a prison for boys, and a bad one at that. I shuttered slightly at the thought and the vivid image of the abused boy ran through my head. We would get help for him and everyone else there.

A sudden screech of a car interrupted my train of thought as I jumped back a little. The car looked slightly familiar. It backed up until it reached us. I was a little terror-stricken at the thought of who it could be. I hesitantly looked up to see who it was, although I didn't want to show my face to any strangers just yet, at least until the whole ordeal was over with.

"Pony?" A voice I recognized asked as I saw the car's window roll down.

"Two-Bit?" I was almost ecstatic to see him. Anyone from the gang would be a sight to see at that time.

"Holy hellfire, batman, it really is you!" Two-Bit smiled. Finally, a familiar face!

"What're you doin' here, Two-Bit?" I asked, approaching the side of his car.

"What d'ya mean what am I doin' here? Hell, I'm doin' the same thing e'ryone else is doin'!" He eyed all three of us, "Lookin' for you!"

"Guess word travels faster than we though, huh, Pone?" Soda nodded in my direction.

"Apparently." I cocked my head to one side.

"Anyone else lookin' for us?" Johnny's quiet voice asked.

"You mean besides us? Dunno." Two-Bit shrugged.

Johnny looked disappointed. I knew he wanted his parents to care enough to try and scout him out. He dropped his head slightly.

Horns began blarin' behind Two-Bit's car.

"Go around, ya bunch'a idiots!" He used street gestures to motion the cars to go around him, "Go around!" He repeated.

"What's wrong with you?" One of the people behind him shouted loudly at him.

"Maybe you should just find a lot." I suggested, as I noticed how pissed the people behind him seemed.

"Yeah, good idea." He nodded as he started up the car again and drove up ahead a little and turned sharply into an empty lot.

The three of us ran over to it to continue what we were all talkin' about.

"Y'all hungry?" Two-Bit asked, upon steppin' outta the car.

"Yeah," The three of us spoke in unison.

He whipped out his wallet and tallied up the money he had with him.

"Anybody gotta five?" He asked.

I pulled out my wallet and Johnny and Soda did the same.

"I got one." I pulled the crisp bill out of my wallet.

"I gotta ten." Soda waved the banknote in his hand.

"We're goodda go then!" Two-Bit collected the money from us.

At long last, we were finally about to have a decent meal. One we haven't had in a few days. A diner that sat in between two identical shops is where Two-Bit chose. The rest of us didn't mind none - as long as the food was edible, anything would be fine with me. Hell, I felt like orderin' everything off the menu the moment we sat down.

"Oh, by the way," Two-Bit reached into his back pocket and pulled out a piece of paper, "Found this letter lyin' around your house. Had your name on it so I took it." Two-Bit handed me the crumpled up envelope. It was probably neat before he got ahold of it, but then again, I didn't care. He _would_ be the one to steal it. It was Darry's hand writing. I ripped open the top half of the envelope and pulled out the letter addressed to me.

'_Ponyboy,_

_I came by earlier with the release papers for you and Soda. I tried to get a hold of Johnny's forms as well, but since he's not part of the family or related to us in any way, they told me there was nothing they could do. I don't know where you guys are, but I hope you'll get this letter sometime soon. Be careful, all right? I had the feeling you guys would run away before I got there. Was it really that bad? I told the boys what happened, and even though they said they wouldn't, I think they're trying to find you. Come back home soon and safe. Don't want anything happening to you two or Johnny. Take care of yourselves._

_Your brother,_

_Darrel Curtis'_

How many times did he have to say be careful? We're not as reckless as we make ourselves out to be back home. It was unfamiliar territory. It was different. I folded the letter over and tucked it safely into my pocket.

"Thanks Two-Bit." I replied.

"Yeah." He nodded.

I hadda admit, I kinda missed Darry. I figured it would be strange if I didn't; he was my brother, too. If I were to respond back, I wouldn't even know where to start.


	5. Dirty Little Secret, Revealed!

"They did _what_?" Two-Bit raised his voice after we told him about what we saw back at the boys home. The entire restaurant heard him and the chatter around us died down a little.

"Shh!" Johnny, me, and Sodapop shushed him all at once. Once all was clear we resumed talkin'.

"Two-Bit, ya gotta help us." I pleaded, half pounding my fists against the table so only the four of us could hear.

For some reason, the more I glanced around me, the more I got suspicious of everyone in the restaurant. I knew I was going slightly delusional, but anyone who witnessed what I just did would have had the same reaction, I reassured myself. How this day was gonna get any better, I had no idea, but I had to alert the rest of the gang, maybe once we're all together again we could sort everything out. I was scared outta my mind, but I didn't show it none, well, at least as little as possible. I looked more worried than anything, at least that's what Johnny told me after we left. Seein' what I saw earlier only made me wonder if that's what happened everyday at that place. Beatin' on little kids like that just made me sick the more I thought about it. I tried blinkin' away the thoughts a few times but it was too soon to forget about and I didn't intend to, anyway. I knew I'd have nightmares for the rest of my life if I couldn't stop what was goin' on. The last thing I wanted to do was be considered a hero, I'd rather blend in with the rest of society than stand out like a sore thumb. I couldn't believe my reputation was all that was on my mind right then. I was confused, very confused. I didn't know what was appropriate to think about or not.

"Darry knows some people who could help us," Soda cut in. I was glad he did, I was about to lose it with the waterworks and I did not wanna go through that again.

"Yeah, man. Ain't he friends with that soc who's parents work for them cops?" Johnny asked, realizin' that Soda was right.

How come Johnny knew more about Darry than I did. I never heard of him talk about no soc with cops for parents. What else don't I know about my brother? I felt a hint of anger stirrin' up inside of me. I knew I had more important things to worry about at the moment than being jealous that everyone seemed to know more than I did about my own family members. I pretended to know what they were talkin' about.

"Oh yeah, that one guy he used to hang out with?" I replied a little nervously.

"No, you're talkin' about Nick. He was the one Darry got in a fight with and almost pulled a blade on." Soda replied halfheartedly.

"Oh, that sleaze-ball?" Two-Bit laughed through his drink, "Wonder what happened to that jerk."

Okay, _what_? Did I miss an entire chapter of my brothers life? How come I didn't remember none of this?

"Candie. That was her name." Soda exclaimed finally remembering the soc's name, "Darry used to date her a while back, 'member?" He stuffed a slice of toast directly into his mouth and didn't stop talking once to chew, "Dunno if they're still on good terms or none."

"_Candie?_" I asked, now a little more heated with anger than I was before.

"Yeah, Darry asked me to keep it a secret," Soda finally swallowed the bite he'd been workin' on for a couple of minutes, "I'm sorry, Pony."

"A secret? Why'd he wanna keep it a secret?" I asked, a little annoyed at all the classified family information I was just now discoverin'.

"Eh, things weren't workin' out too well 'n he didn't wanna worry ya none." Soda picked his fork back up again and started diggin' in to his eggs.

I couldn't even think about eatin'. At this point I felt as sick as I ever have and as hungry as I was, I couldn't bare to look at what was on my plate.

"Hey Pony, ya gonna eat that?" Two-Bit asked, pointin' at the plate. I hesitantly shook my head, "Good, pass it 'ere."

I handed the plate over to him and watched him stuff his face. Him and Steve always ate like that meal was gonna be their last. Heck, I even once tried eatin' like them - felt sick the resta the day. I dunno _how_ they do it!

"My question is," Two-Bit expressed, diggin' into my plate of food now, "Why hasn't this all been in the papers yet?"

I shrugged, "Don't think no one's found out yet." I stared down at my folded hands on the table, "It's no use if we do. They'll just think we're some screwed up little kids playin' a prank 'er somethin'. They'll never believe us."

"Pony's right." Soda nodded in my direction, "Once Darry knows, we'll have a shot of them believin' us."

Johnny kept quiet for the majority of our time at the restaurant. I knew he was just as worried as I was, if not more. Unlike me, he knew how all that felt. He's been beaten on a daily basis by his folks. I couldn't stand to see him like that. We had to do something, all of us.

"I-I gotta go!" I excused myself from the table and hurried out the door to find the pay-phone again.

"Pony!" I ignored the calls after me, just like I alway do.

I heard Johnny slip out after me. '_Darry had to know, Darry had to know._' I kept repeating to myself over and over again, stupidly thinking that telepathically he'd be able to hear me.

"Pony!" Johnny called again, signaling me to slow down. Once again, I disregarded him and kept up my pace, "Dammit, Pony, slow down, wouldjya?"

"Johnny, Darry has to know!" I could feel the tears start up again.

"And he will, Pony. Just calm down," Johnny closed his jean jacket a little tighter around him, "You bein' all hysterical won't help nothin'."

I knew he was right. The least I could do was keep my cool or I'd lose it for sure. I took a deep breath and listened to him. Johnny and I kept our composure as we approached the phone.

"Got a quarter on ya?" I asked as I cupped my hands together.

"Yeah." He dug further into his jacket pockets and removed a coin along with a ball of lint.

"Thanks, Johnny." I slipped the coin into the slot and jammed the phone against my ear, almost too shaky to dial the house number. I prayed that Darry was still home and hadn't left yet. The ringing sound the other end of the receiver made was really tryin' my patience, well, the little I had left. To know the fact that the more seconds we wasted, a kid was gettin' beat to death really shook up my sanity some. Finally there was a voice on the other end.

"Darry? It's Pony. I-" I started, speaking incredibly fast before I was able to realize that I was talkin' to the answering machine, "Dammit!" I wanted to slam the phone back down, but I knew I had to leave some sort of message, at least to let him know Two-Bit found us and the rest of us are okay. I heard the beep, indicating for me to start speakin' up, "Darry, it's me, Pony." I tried to sound as calm as possibly, though my voice still shook with fear and anger. Then I realized I had no idea where to begin, "I, um," I thought for a moment, "We're in the town near the home. Two-Bit found us and we're all okay." I bit my lip in hesitation, tryin' my hardest not to lose it, "Look, Darry. I need your help. Something's going on here and it doesn't seem too good. When you get here, look for Two-Bit's car. We'll be in there." I waited a second before hangin' up, just in case I found more to say. My tongue was tied the rest of the time and couldn't think straight.

Darry wasn't home. What do I do now?

I heard footsteps behind me. Two-Bit and Soda had finally caught up to Johnny and me.

"We gotta get outta here!" Soda panted, almost flying right past me.

"Why?" I spun around, quickly.

"I skipped out on the check." Two-Bit followed Soda down the street.

"Christ, Two-Bit!" Johnny called after them.

It wasn't long before the sound of sirens broke the calmness that blanketed the town. I realized that if Johnny and I stayed where we were, we'd be in more trouble than we were already in.

"Can't take 'im anywhere huh, Johnny?" I sprinted past him as he followed close behind me.

What else could go wrong? I thought to myself. We have multiple reasons to be thrown in the cooler and nothing to say for it that could defend us that they'll believe. Not yet. Not until Darry get here, anyway. All we could do now was wait.

* * *

><p><em><strong>I apologize if my writing skills are deteriorating. For some reason, I'm waiting until very late (like close to 1 in the morning) to work on the story now that school has started up again. I'll try and work harder on it with more literary expansions. :)<strong>_

_**If any of you have some ideas you want to incorporate into this story, let me know! Either in a review or private message. I'm always out for new challenges! **_


End file.
